City declares it's ready to put smokers in their place

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 04/04/2006 9:32 AM  |  Jakarta

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After a year of warnings and threats, the Jakarta administration on Thursday will begin enforcing its ban on smoking in public places.

Administration officers will begin combing streets, buildings and buses looking for people lighting up in no-smoking areas, and reporting violators.

The head of the pollution control unit at the Jakarta Environmental Management Agency, Junani Kartawiria, told The Jakarta Post on Monday that 27 task forces had been formed from officers from the city's health, transportation, education and environmental management agencies.

""We have equipped the task forces with adequate information about the smoking ban ... they are ready to enforce it,"" she said.

Each task force will monitor those areas related to its specific agency.

""For example, the task force from the transportation agency will be responsible for monitoring people smoking on public buses, while the health agency will inspect hospitals,"" she said.

Junani said that Thursday office buildings in Greater Jakarta would be inspected to determine whether building managers had established special smoking areas, as required by the 2005 bylaw on air pollution, which contains the smoking ban.

""We will hand out administrative sanctions to building owners during the inspections. We have given them ample time to meet the obligation to set up smoking rooms, so there are no more delays,"" she said.

The smoking ban had originally been scheduled for enforcement Feb. 4, but Governor Sutiyoso announced a delay because of confusion over where smoking is and is not allowed.

Under the ban, smoking is prohibited in malls, hotels, restaurants, the airport, train and bus stations, offices, schools, playgrounds, hospitals, places of worship and on public transportation.

The owners and operators of locations where smoking is banned are required to provide a special area for smokers, equipped with exhaust fans. Building owners must also set up a special desk to collect complaints about violations of the ban, as well as training security guards on how to enforce the regulation.

Building owners can face up to six months in prison or a Rp 50 million fine if they fail to comply with the ban, while those caught smoking in public places can be fined up to Rp 100,000.

Junani said that during the past two months, the administration had conducted road shows at several shopping malls to familiarize residents and building managers with the regulation.

The 2005 bylaw on air pollution that includes the smoking ban also requires regular emissions tests for private vehicles and the use of natural gas by public transportation vehicles.

Where is smoking allowed?

Starting April 6, smokers will no longer be allowed to light up wherever they please. Below are several areas where smoking will still be permitted:

- Outside buildings
- Along sidewalks
- In outdoor parking areas
- In places equipped with ashtrays and exhaust fans

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